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l GATE. 1\o:a8,0,232. Patented Mar. 27, 1'8"'88.v 26 i 2 N. PinusPmmuumgmpm v'mmngm u c.

H. P. WALKER" (N6 Model.)

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WITNESSES N. giftlls mmmhmmpher. wnsmngum uc.

UNITED STATES PATENT f' OEErcE.

HARLAN P. WALKER, or BOULDER, COLORADO, AssIGNOR OE ONE-HALE To HEMAN H.PHILLIPS, or SAME PLAGE.

GATE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 380,232, dated March27, 1888-4 Application led January 13, 1868. Serial N o. 260.655. (Nomodel.) I

To all whom ibm/wg] concern:

13e it known that I, HARLAN P. WALKER, a citlzen of the United States,and a resident of Boulder, in the county of Boulder and State of 5Colorado, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Gates;and Ido hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exactdescription of the invention, which will enable others skilled in theart to which it apro pertains to make and use the same,reference belnghad to theaccompanying drawings, whIch form a part of thisspecification, and in whioh-` Figure ll'is a perspective view of my newI5 and improved gate. Fig. 2 is a side view of thesame, showing the gateclosed. Fig. 3 is aside view showing the gate opened. Fig. 4 1s a detailof the double main post, and Fig. 5 is a detail view of the rear endpost. 2o The same numerals of reference indicate corresponding parts inall the figures.

My invention consists in a new and im proved sliding gate, which isespecially designed as a farm or road gate, and which can 25 be openedand closed from either side without dismounting from horseback or from avehicle,

and .my lnventiou will be hereinafter fully described and claimed.

Referring to the several parts by their des 3o 1gnat1ng-numerals, 1indicates the gate proper,

and 2 indicates thedouble main post throughwhich the'gate slides. Thisgate 1 is of a reetangular shape, with a strong top rail, 3, along thelower edge of which is secured a half-round 3 5 bar of iron, 4, whichruns in the grooved roll ers hereinafter referred to, and thus preventswear of the top rail itself. The double post 2 l is formed with the twoparallel side pieces, 2a.

2a, whichare connected at their upper ends by 4o the short topA piece,2". y

The top rail of the gate passes through and 1s supported in a metalstirrup, 5, the halfround iron with which the lower edge of the said toprail is shod running in a grooved 45 roller, 6, which is journaled inthe lower contracted part ofthe stirrup. This stirrup is supported by arope, 7, which is secured at one end to a hook, 8, at the top of thestirrup, then passes up and over a grooved pulley, 5o 9, which isjournaled in a slot, 10, in one of the side pieces, 2, and to the lowerend of vthis rope is secured a large weight, 11, which is of sufficientsize to overbalance the weight ofthe gate and hold -the same up out ofcontact with the ground. 'To'. the lower end of the stirrup is secured astop or guide bar, 12, the ends of which extend through and play invertical slots 13 13, which are formed in the side pieces of the post 2,this cross bar or guide, while permitting a certain amount of 6omovement or play to the stirrup, always hold'- ing it in proper positionand preventing its working out from betweenr the sides of the doublepost 2.

'rhe- 'front ena 0f the gamas provided with 65 a latch, 14, which, whenthe gate is closed,. engages with a recess, 15, in the latch-post 16 inthe usual manner, and inthe lower end of the front upright, 17, of thegate is journaled a'roller, 18, which causes thefront end of the gate topass readily over. the ground when it swings' down in opening or closingthe gate.

Thetop rail, 3, of the gate projects back at the rear end, of the gatefor a distance slightly v greater than the length of the gate proper,and 7 5 from the lower end of the rear upright, '19of the gate aninclined brace, 20, extends up until its rear end vmeets the rear end ofthefrail 3, where the two are bolted securely together. rlhe half-roundbar of iron 4 extends under the entire length of the upper rail, 3. Aguide-post, 21, is secured in the ground back of the main post 2 at adistance equal to the length of the gate itself, and to one side of thisguide-post is secured a bracket, 22,in the lower and upper portions ofwhich are journaled the two grooved rollers 23 23. Therearwardly-extending part of the top rail, 3, lruns through this bracketbetween the said two rollers, and it will beseeu that this guide- 9opost will serve to steady and guide the gate when the latter is beingopened and closed.

'lhe double main post. is secured in the ground at the side of the road,and from the top of this postextend on each side the oppo- 9 5 sitehorizontal beams 24 24,which are secured at their outer ends upon the*upper ends of vertical posts 25 25, secured in the ground at asuitabledistance on each side of the main double post 2. Inclined braces 26 26are se- Ioo cured at their upper ends to. the horizontal beams 24 nearthe outer ends of thesame, andv then incline down and out, and arebolted against the uprights 25 25, as shown. Upon each inclined braceare pivoted or journaled two grooved rollers or pulleys, 27 and 28, andto the outer opposite edges of each side piece of the double post 2 areattached the grooved pulleys 29 and 30. On each side of the gate isarranged an operatiugrope, 3l, for opening and closing the gate, eachrope being secured at one end to the top of the front end of the gate,then passing through the pulley 29 at that side of the main post 2, thenup and over the pulley 27 on the inclined brace 26, then down through apulley, 32, hereinafter referred to, then up and over a pulley, 28, downthrough the pulley 30, and is finally secured at its other end to thetop of the rear' end of the gate proper. Each of the pulleys 32 issecured to the top of a weight, 33, which has an eye, 34, which slidesupon aguide-rod, 35, secured at its ends to the upright 25.

In order to open the gate the traveler, appreaching the gate from eitherside,pullsupon that part of the. operating-rope which runs throughthepulley 29, whenthe gate will berapidly rol-led back to its. openposition, while to close the gate the other part of the operatingrope,which runs through the pulley 30, is pulled upon, when the gate willroll to into its closed position. It will be seen that as the gate isthus rolled or pulled back and forth to open and close it it will runeasily in the grooved rollers of the stirrup` and guide-post, the weightof thegate resting mainly upon the weighted stirrup, so that thefriction is reduced to the lowest point. When the gate is being openedand reaches a point where the weight 11 is heavier than will overbalancethe weight of the frontendv ofthe gate,the center of gravity of the gatewill be changed,its front end will rise up, and the gate will run backby force of gravitation. In the same manner, when the gate is beingclosed, as soon as its front end becomes heavier than the weight 11 thecenter of gravity will be again changed and the front end of the gatewill-drop and the gate will close by force of gravity.

It will be seen that owing to this peculiar construction and arrangementof parts the gate will be to a certain extent automatic, and that it canconsequently be opened and closed with a very slight pull on theoperatingrope. The operating ropes are prevented from kinkiug ortwisting up by the weights 33, and by arranging the weights to slide ontheguide-rods 35 the weight will adjust itself to the contraction andelongation of the operating-ropes caused by the changes of atmosphere,the alternating moisture and dryness.

Instead of the precise form of bracket shown at the guide-post any othersuitable form or means for effecting the same purpose may besubstituted. s

Having thus described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secureby Letters Patent of the United States, is-

1. The combination, with the sliding gate, of a counterbalanced stirrup,arranged substantially as set forth.

2. The combination, with the sliding gate, of the double post having thegrooved roller journaled in its upper end,l a stirrup through which thetop rail of the said gate slides, and the rope secured at one end to thesaid stirrup, passing over the grooved roller, and having the weight atits other end, substantially as set forth.

3. The combination, with thesliding gate, of the double post formed withthe opposite side slots and having the grooved roller journaled in itsupper end, the stirrup having the roller journaled in its lower portionandthe guide-bar secured to its lower end, the weightcord, and theweight, substantially as set forth.

4. The combination, with the sliding gate having the metal shoe or rodsecured along the lower edge of its top rail, of the double postformedwith the opposite side slots and4 having the grooved roller journaled inits upperend, the stirrup having the grooved roller journaled in4 itslower portionV and the guidebar secured to its lower end, theweight-cord, and the weight, substantially as set forth. 5. Thecombination, with the sliding gate formed with the rearwardly-extendedtop rail and the rear inclined brace and having the metal shoe securedalong the lower edge of the said top bar, of the guide-post, the bracketsecured to the same and having. the rollers journale'd within it, thedouble post formed with the opposite side slots and having the groovedroller journaled in its upper end, the stirrup having the grooved rollerjournaled in its lower portion and the guide-bar secured to its lowerend, the weight-cord, and the weight, substantially as set forth.

6. The combination, with the sliding gate, ofthe operating-ropes, thepulleys for the same attached to the double post and to the inclinedbraces 26 26, the weights having the pulleys at their upper ends and theside eyes, and the guide-rods, al1 arranged substantially as and for thepurpose set forth.

In testimony that I claim the foregoing as my own I have hereunto aixedmy signature in presence of two witnesses.

HABLAN P. WALKER.

Witnesses:

GEO. HAMBROUGH, B. W. JONES.

IOO

IIO

